ACLU notes significant increase in anti-LGBTQ legislation

According to a report by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), The Hill highlighted on Tuesday, state legislatures have introduced over 275 bills targeting LGBTQ issues for the 2024 sessions.

The ACLU stated that this surge in legislation follows the introduction of more than 500 similar bills in 2023.

These bills focus on gender-transition treatments for young people, the autonomy of students to select their gender identity in schools, and transgender athletes in student sports.

ACLU attorney Harper Seldin commented on the situation, stating, “Transgender people across the country are enduring a historic and dangerous effort to control our bodies and our lives, fueled by extremist politics with the goal of erasing us from public life.” Seldin further added, “Taken together, these proposals are a blatant effort to deny transgender people the freedom to be ourselves at school, at work, and the support of the medical care many of us need to live. We at the ACLU and our nationwide affiliate network stand ready to defend our freedoms and our families from this baseless assault.”

In response to the rising number of anti-LGBTQ bills, the Human Rights Campaign, a pro-LGBTQ advocacy group, declared a “national state of emergency” last June, according to the ACLU. The organization also reported that more than 80 anti-LGBTQ laws were enacted in the past year.

The ACLU reported that a significant portion of the 2024 bills, over 200, are focused on education.